Double hinged inner spring unit



Aug. 6, 1963 G. SIMON 3,099,843

DOUBLE HINGED INNER SPRING UNII` Filed Jan. 2e, 1961 A a@ m1 A A L g 3 JNVENToR.

7 George Simon X 10X QI@ ite This invention relates to the inner spring units of mattresses and particularly to the border members of such units.

Mattresses should be flexible and resilient enough to cushion the weight and to conform to the shape of the body of the user and to resume the proper shapes thereof without permanent distortion when the load thereon has been removed, but they should also be sufficiently firm and rigid for proper support of the body. The edge portions or borders of a mattress are especially subject to distortion under abnormal loads and when the mattress is excessively bent, and such portions are customarily braced by border wires and other structures to present an nudi"- torted appearance and to resist bending.

However, the marginal or border portions of the mattresses, as heretofore customarily made, cannot long withstand repeated lifting of the mattress corners, as when fitted, contour or other sheets are installed in making up the bed in which the mattress is used. Such marginal portions, including the bracing frame or border Wires of the mattress, are bent to a considerable extent when the bed is so made up, and frequently remain permanently bent to ssurne a displeasing distorted appearance and to shorten the useful life of the mattress. The usual padding on the inner spring unit also resists the lifting or folding of the mattress corners and end sections and soon becomes displaced and lumpy, or if anchored by tufting, such tufting is likely to be damaged.

The present invention therefore contemplates the provision of a mattress inner unit which while sufficiently firm adequately to support the user and to res-ist permanent distortion, is flexible enough to permit the corner and end portions of the unit and the mattress in which it is installed, to be raised a considerable amount without danger of damage either to the unit or to the mattress padding or tufting.

The invention further contemplates the provision of sectional, spaced apart border members, so arranged in the inner unit and so shaped as to provide an integra-l double hinge permitting easy vmanipulation of the end sections into which the border members divide the unit, as Well as permitting said sections to be swung to a relatively large inclination, while -nevertheless exerting little bending stress on the border members or on the padding and thereby avoiding permanent distortion of the mattress and its parts.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a firm and resilient inner spring unit for a mattress in connection with which tufting may be dispensed with, the unit having a plurality :of border members of relatively short span, separated by a transverse separating row of the springs of said unit and hinged to said row in such a manner that the end sections of the unit are highly exible without having to endure severe distortion such as would damage the padding or the unit, the arrangement of the border members preventing the formation of sharp bends when the end sections are lifted.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a plan view of either the top or bottom face of -an inner spring unit to which the invention has been Iapplied, the springs in the central parts of some of the rates t@ n "an longitudinal rows having been omitted from the view and being indicated by dash-dot lines.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational View of the transverse arms of the end border members and of the springs connected thereto, looking in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the unit as it appears when an end section thereof is lifted, the inclination of the section being exaggerated for illustrative purposes.

The inner -unit to fwhich the invention is applied comprises the transverse adjacent rows `9, 10, :11 of transversely spaced apart springs as 12 ofthe usual type, each having similar enlarged end coils as 13 and |14. The usual helicals as |15 run the length of the rows and connect corresponding end coils of each pair of adjacent rows as 9, 1G and 10, 11. Since the top and bottom faces of the unit are preferably identical, only one need be described.

Such inner unit requires stiifening, and Vfor that purpose uninterrupted border wires completely around each face of the unit are usually secured tangent to the coils at the sides and ends of the unit. Since such Wires act as stiff frames and span the entire length of the unit, lifting of the end of the mattress embodying the unit unduly bends the lframes and is quite likely to damage them as well `as the Ipadding thereon, as has already been indicated.

By spitting the border wire or frame into separate spaced apart members of relatively .short span and lunconnected to each other except by .the end coils [of a row of springs which separates the border member longitudinally, the separate members can pivot substantially indepe-ndently of each other without material loss of bracing or stidening properties, thereby permitting safe raising of the end sections of the mattress, which are stiffened by the end border members, relatively to the intermediate section, which is stiifened by the side intermediate border members. The specific forms which the border members take are best 'seen in FIG. 1 wherein the end border members A16 are illustrated as C-shaped and the intermediate side border members 17, .18 are shown as U- shaped. While the mem-bers 1648 are shown as made of `flat wire, 'they may obviously be Imade of IWire of any desired cross sectional shape such as Ithe usual round Wire.

The border members 16 at each end section of the uni-t are preferably identical, each having an end web or portion 20 lying on and substantially tangent to the end coils of `the springs in the end row of the unit. From the ends of the web 20 extend perpendicularly the longitudinally arranged side edge portions 21, 22 to span the side edges, of a relatively few rows, three being shown herein. The short stiifening and pivoting arms 23, 24 extend transversely toward each other from the inner ends of the portions 21 and 22 less than half way across the unit and terminate in spaced relation to each other to leave the central parts of the rows 9 and 10 and 11 free of the frames or border members. When said members are assembled to a preformed and otherwise complete unit, the members are merely placed on the unit and connected to the end coils of the -adjacent springs by a suitable helical 25 made in one or more pieces as may be found convenient, and passing around the member and Ithe end coils. Such helical 25 is of relatively large diameter and of preferably coarse pitch when at border Wire is employed.

The intermediate side border member as 17 or 18 has a longitudinally arranged web portion 26 perpendicular to and connecting the parallel short arms 27 and 28, said arms being similar to the arms 23, 24 of the end border member land similarly extending transversely toward each other a relatively short distance. 'Ihe arms 27, 28 are arranged on the corresponding end coils of the rows and 11, being spaced longitudinally from the arms 23, 24 a distance substantially that of the diameter of the end coils, by being placed on the opposite side of the sectionseparating row ltl'from the side on which the arms 23, 24 are placed. Helicals 30 similar tothe helicals 2S and also made in one or more pieces, connect the parts 26, 27 and 28 of the intermediate border member to the end coils of the edge springs of the unit and to .some springs of the rows 10 and 11. Consequently, the edge springs of the separating row 10 are free of any stiiening or border member at `the side edge thereof whereby the row can pivot about the arms 23 and 24 and can also pivot as well about the arms 27 and 2S.

As -best 'seen in FIG. 3, such double pivoting action of the row 10 prevents ythe formation of a sharp angular bend such as would occur at such row were either border member extended .across the side of the row 10, or were the border member as 23, 27 in contact with each other. Instead, the bend formed on the lift of lthe end section, is divided at least in half at each pivot 23 and 27 and an arc 'of relatively large radius is formed concavely at the top of the mattress where the stress is greatest when the end section is lifted. The springs of the separating row 10 are compressed the most as shown in FIG. 3. While some bending may occur in the border members as is shown exaggerated in FIG. 3, the amount is small since the bending force is largely absorbed by compression of the springs and does not materially distort either the border members or theV padding. The 'C-shaped and U-shaped border members permit adaquate stifening of the unit, frequently enough to dispense with tufting. i While certain specific forms of the invention have here-r in been shown and described, various obvious changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim: l

1. In a spring unit, a pair of end sections each comprising a multiplicity of rows of upright coil springs having identical top and bottom end coils and 'a first stitiening border wire on each face of the section extending around one end edge and both side edges of the section and having transversely extending arms on the fourth edge, yan intermediate section in spaced relation to and between the end sections and comprising a multiplicity of rows of upright coil springs similar to the firse mentioned -coil springs and a second stiffening border wire on each face of the intermediate section extending along each side edge and having transversely extending arms part way along the end edges of the section, and means forming a double hinge connecting the end edges of the 'intermediate section to the inner end edge of the adjacent end section at both faces of the sections and comprising a connecting row of upright coil springs similar to the aforementioned springs and a pairv of transverse helicals for said Connecting row at each face of the unit, one of the pair of helicals passing around the arms of the iirst border wire and around one side ofthe end coils 'of the springs of the connecting row and around the end coils of the row of springs yadjacent said one side, and the other of the pair of helicals passing around the arms of the second border wire, around the opposite side of the end coils of the row of springs of the connecting row and `around the end coils of the springs adjacent said opposite side, each of the four helicals between each end section and the intermediate section constituting a hinge between the sections permitting limited relative movement of said sections.

2. In an inner spring unit having a series of transversely arranged adjacent rows each of transversely spaced apart coil springs, each spring having end coils of substantial-ly the same diameter terminating respectively at opposite faces of the unit, the improvement comprising a C-shaped stilening end border member for each end section at each face of the unit, a 'U-shaped stiifening intermediate border member in longitudinal spaced relation to the C-shaped border member for each side of each face of the intermediate section, there being -a single separating row of springs substantially identical with and arranged identically `as the aforementioned coil springs of the remainder of the unit, between the border members and between each end section and the intermediate section, and a pair of helicals extending transversely on each face of the unit and connecting the border members to the end coils of the adjacent springs, each of the end border members having an end edge port-ion and side edge portions extending perpendicularly from the end edge portion and terminating at that side of the separating row nearer the end edge of the unit, the intermediate border member having longitudinally extending side edge portions each terminatingat the opposite side of the separating row and spaced from the terminaly part of the side edge portion of the end border member a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the end coils, the end coils of the separating row bridging the respective spaces on each face of theunit between the end border member and the intermediate border member and together with the helicals constituting the only connecting means therebetween, each of the IC-shaped members vhaving an arm extending transversely from the side edge portion of the member along one transverse side of the separating row and into the interior of one of the helicals at said side, the U-shaped member having `an arm at each end of the side portion each entering the interior of the other of the pair of helicals, the helicals constituting a double hinge between each end section and the intermediate section at both faces of the unit.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 535,367 Fraser Marin, 1895 641,660 van oise Jan. 16, 1900 2,118,297: Douglas May 24, 193s FoRniGN PATENTS 14,478/28 Australia May 7, 1929 

1. IN A SPRING UNIT, A PAIR OF END SECTIONS EACH COMPRISING A MULTIPLICITY OF ROWS OF UPRIGHT COIL SPRINGS HAVING IDENTICAL TOP AND BOTTOM END COILS AND A FIRST STIFFENING BORDER WIRE ON EACH FACE OF THE SECTION EXTENDING AROUND ONE END EDGE AND BOTH SIDE EDGES OF THE SECTION AND HAVING TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING ARMS ON THE FOURTH EDGE, AN INTERMEDIATE SECTION IN SPACED RELATION TO AND BETWEEN THE END SECTIONS AND COMPRISING A MULTIPLICITY OF ROWS OF UPRIGHT COIL SPRINGS SIMILAR TO THE FIRST MENTIONED COIL SPRINGS AND A SECOND STIFFENING BORDER WIRE ON EACH FACE OF THE INTERMEDIATE SECTION EXTENDING ALONG EACH SIDE EDGE AND HAVING TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING ARMS PART WAY ALONG THE END EDGES OF THE SECTION, AND MEANS FORMING A DOUBLE HINGE CONNECTING THE END EDGES OF THE INTERMEDIATE SECTION TO THE INNER END EDGE OF THE ADJACENT END SECTION AT BOTH FACES OF THE SECTIONS AND COMPRISING A CONNECTING ROW OF UPRIGHT COIL SPRINGS SIMILAR TO THE AFOREMENTIONED SPRINGS AND A PAIR OF TRANSVERSE HELICALS FOR SAID CONNECTING ROW AT EACH FACE OF THE UNIT, ONE OF THE PAIR OF HELICALS PASSING AROUND THE ARMS OF THE FIRST BORDER WIRE AND AROUND ONE SIDE OF THE END COILS OF THE SPRINGS OF THE CONNECTING ROW AND AROUND THE END COILS OF THE ROW OF SPRINGS ADJACENT SAID ONE SIDE, AND THE OTHER OF THE PAIR OF HELICALS PASSING AROUND THE ARMS OF THE SECOND BORDER WIRE, AROUND THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE END COILS OF THE ROW OF SPRINGS OF THE CONNECTING ROW AND AROUND THE END COILS OF THE SPRINGS ADJACENT SAID OPPOSITE SIDE, EACH OF THE FOUR HELICALS BETWEEN EACH END SECTION AND THE INTERMEDIATE SECTION CONSTITUTING A HINGE BETWEEN THE SECTIONS PERMITTING LIMITED RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID SECTIONS. 